Oae coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

D. SGHOFIELD. l

GAR GQUPLINGr Ffa! WMM .www mm1/Schwei 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

D. SCHOFIELD.

. GAR GGUPLING.

Patented Feb. 2l, 1888.

v MMIII HHHHUIV/ A Unirse drains artnr @einen DANIEL SCI-IOFIELD, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,265, dated February 21, 1888.

Application filed January 3, 18ES. Serial No. 259,674. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

,e it known that I, DANIEL SonorinLn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Camden, Camden county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplings in which the opposite draiv-heads are provided with pivotcd levers having projecting arms which engage with each other in order to make the coupling, the object of my invent-ion being to so construct a coupling of this class as to combine the advantages of both a spring-hook coupling and a swinging-hook coupling.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure l represents in sectional plan a pair of drawheads with coupling devices constructed in accordance with my invention, the draw-heads.

being separated from each other. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the coupling about to be effected. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the coupling complete. Fig. 4 is a vieW showing the method oi" uncoupling. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on thelinel 2, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a view illustrating a inodiiieation.

Each draw-head consists of a projecting bar, A, with top and bottom plates a secured thereto and projecting therefrom, each plate having a laterally-projecting guard hook or iinger, a', to prevent undue lateral separation of thecoupling-heads when the cars are rounding a curve, or are moved sidewise in respect to each other at other times.

To a pin, Z), on each draw-head is pivoted the coupling-lever D, which is in the forni of a bell-crank, having two arms, d d', substantially at right angles to cach other, the arm d of each lever being maintained normally in a laterally-projecting position by reason of the action of a spring, j", upon the arm d of the lever, as shown in Fig. l. Vhen the drawheads approach each other, however, the backs of the arms d of the two levers strike each othenand said levers are caused to move in the direction ofthe arroWs,Fig. 2, until the arms d pass each other, whereupon the springs f cause the restoration of the levers to their normal positions, so that when the cars are subjected to draft the arms' d will engage with each other and couple the cars together, as

shown in Fig. 3, any movement of eitherlever necessary to uncouple being prevented by a pin, 9', carried by the plates c ofthe couplinghead and engaging with the arm dof thecoupling-lever, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that owing to this arrangement no manipulation of the parts is necessary in order to effect the coupling, the levers D yielding as the draw-heads approach each otherandthesprings restoring the levers to the coupling position as soon as they have passed each other.

In order to nncouple, all that is necessary is to Withdraw one of the pins g, whereupon as the cars are separated the lever will swing open and permit the release of the other lever from engagement therewith, as shown in Fig. 4, the free lever being restored to its normal position by the action of the spring if as soon as the arms d have passed each other. The pin g is then reinserted and the parts are in position for recoupling. i

In order to prevent the upper and lower plates of the draw-head from binding upon the levers D,the pivot-pins IJ of said levers are preferably shouldered, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the pins serve as distance-pieces to prevent elamping of the coupling-levers by the plates of the head.

The inner face of the eouplingarni of each lever D has at the end a rounded projection, m, and adjacent thereto asimilarlyourved recess, a, the projection of one arm fitting into the recess of the other when the levers are coupled. These rounded surfaces facilitate the movement of the arms upon each other when the oars are rounding a curve.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified forni of spring for operating the couplingdever, said spring being coiled around the pivotpin @and being contained in a recess in the lever upon which it acts, so as to maintain it in an intermediate position, or restore it to such position after it has been moved therefrom.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the draw-heads and the coupling-levers pivoted thereto, springs tending to maintain said levers in the intermediate position, and pins engaging with the arms of the levers to prevent uncoupling of the same, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the drawhcads, the

glo

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eoupling-levers pivoted thereto and having Intestinlony whereof Ihave signed my name meeting faces, each consisting of a rounded to this specification in the presence 0f two sub' projection andaroundedreeess adjacent thereserbing Witnesses. 1 to, and springs acting on the levers to maine 5 tain them in. mid-position, all substantially as l DANIEL SGHOFIELD.

specified.

3. The combination of the top and bottom Witnesses: plates of the drawhead, the coupling-lever, WILLIAM D. CONNER,

and the pivot-pin shouldered to prevent bind- Ic. ing of said lever by the plates, as set forth.

HARRY SMITH. 

